MLB Thursday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for September 11, 2025
Last updated: Sep 10, 2025, 10:26PM | Published: Sep 10, 2025, 8:26AM
Draftstars Australia's MLB Thursday DFS contest begins at 9:05am AEST on September 11, 2025, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
An accurate Draftstars cheat sheet is essential for MLB fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' MLB contests and enhance your season-long fantasy line-ups on September 11 and beyond.
Featured MLB Games
Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate features these match-ups:
- Chicago White Sox vs Tampa Bay Rays
- Atlanta Braves vs Chicago Cubs
- San Diego Padres vs Cincinnati Reds
- Seattle Mariners vs St. Louis Cardinals
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs Colorado Rockies
- New York Yankees vs Detroit Tigers
- Toronto Blue Jays vs Houston Astros
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to make some of the most reliable DFS projections available.
With the best MLB fantasy insights and DFS strategies from Fantasy Insider, you're set to win in more MLB fantasy contests.
Cheat Sheet and Projections
We have reviewed every player from every team to help you find the best choices on Thursday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Christopher Sale (ATL, P) | $21,510 | 21.8 | 1 |
| Value | Kyle Freeland (COL, P) | $8,900 | 12.5 | 1.4 |
| Fade | Jahmai Jones (DET, OF) | $8,550 | 1.3 | 0.1 |
| Cheapie | Tyler Freeman (COL, OF) | $5,780 | 6.4 | 1.1 |
According to Fantasy Insider's DFS model, our "stud" is the highest projected scorer across the slate, while "value" picks provide the most "bang for your buck," meaning they are expected to perform well relative to their salary.
Conversely, a "fade" is a player considered to offer lower value for money, based on their expected score relative to their salary. For budget-conscious strategies, "cheapie" options refer to the best value players at lower price points not already mentioned.
In fantasy sports, understanding value—assessing a player's potential output against their salary—is crucial, as players scoring high relative to their cost are key in crafting the optimal line-up.
The "Pts/$1K" metric shows the predicted points for every $1,000 of a player's salary. A higher number indicates better value, making it easier to spot players who could outperform their cost.
Positional Breakdown
C (Catcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Caleb Raleigh (SEA) | $9,810 | 7.8 | 0.8 |
| Value | Iván Herrera (STL) | $7,200 | 6 | 0.8 |
| Fade | William Smith (LAD) | $10,570 | 5.4 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Hunter Goodman (COL) | $7,580 | 6.2 | 0.8 |
SS (Shortstop)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Elly De La Cruz (CIN) | $9,830 | 8.2 | 0.8 |
| Value | Ezequiel Tovar (COL) | $6,180 | 6.7 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Markus Betts (LAD) | $11,830 | 7.8 | 0.7 |
| Cheapie | Carson Williams (TB) | $5,000 | 5.1 | 1 |
OF (Outfielder)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Shohei Ohtani (LAD) | $13,870 | 9.7 | 0.7 |
| Value | Tyler Freeman (COL) | $5,780 | 6.4 | 1.1 |
| Fade | Jahmai Jones (DET) | $8,550 | 1.3 | 0.1 |
| Cheapie | Brenton Doyle (COL) | $6,220 | 5.9 | 1 |
3B (Third Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Junior Caminero (TB) | $9,440 | 8.3 | 0.9 |
| Value | Ke'Bryan Hayes (CIN) | $5,720 | 5.4 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Maxwell Muncy (LAD) | $9,180 | 4.9 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Kyle Karros (COL) | $5,040 | 4.4 | 0.9 |
2B (Second Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jasrado Chisholm (NYY) | $9,340 | 7.6 | 0.8 |
| Value | Thomas Edman (LAD) | $5,000 | 4.7 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Richard Palacios (TB) | $8,380 | 1.9 | 0.2 |
| Cheapie | Andrés Giménez (TOR) | $6,580 | 6 | 0.9 |
1B (First Base)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Vladimir Guerrero (TOR) | $10,150 | 8.3 | 0.8 |
| Value | Luis Arraez (SD) | $7,350 | 6.9 | 0.9 |
| Fade | Maxwell Muncy (LAD) | $9,180 | 4.9 | 0.5 |
| Cheapie | Willson Contreras (STL) | $7,110 | 6.4 | 0.9 |
P (Pitcher)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Christopher Sale (ATL) | $21,510 | 21.8 | 1 |
| Value | Kyle Freeland (COL) | $8,900 | 12.5 | 1.4 |
Conclusion
In DFS, creating an optimal line-up requires understanding key concepts and metrics. When building your MLB Thursday teams, consider starting with a value player like Kyle Freeland. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Christopher Sale is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, check out our cheapie options, including Tyler Freeman.
On the other hand, according to our model, Jahmai Jones is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' MLB Thursday slate closes at 9:05am AEST on Thursday. ENTER NOW!
As with all MLB DFS contests, whether you start with our studs or build around our value picks, leveraging Fantasy Insider's data-driven MLB fantasy news and strategies, combined with your own research, can enhance your chances of winning in the MLB Thursday slate. The unique insights here can help you maximize points while adhering to the salary cap when you make your MLB DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised MLB Thursday line-ups, check out the Fantasy Insider Cruncher on Draftstars! It's free to use when you're logged in.
Please note that if you use our DFS tips for betting purposes, ensure you gamble responsibly and keep track of your money. For free and confidential support, call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.
